Half a world away ... Gaza City and Worcester. Photographs: Yannis Behrakis/Reuters and Max Nash/AP

While the rest of the world might have been slow to rally round Gaza in its time of strife, at least they can count on the people of Worcester for some sisterhood – the picturesque city's council having made a bid to twin itself with the grief-stricken warzone. What the two can offer each other isn't immediately obvious, but if Britain's history of city partnerships tells us anything, that shouldn't pose a problem at all.

The inhabitants of the cathedral city might be wondering quite what they will be getting in return (not least its MP, Mike Foster, who says the bid has made the city a "laughing stock"). While several cities with partnerships elsewhere can rest assured they will be sending their councillors to gorge on French cheeses or Fair Trade wines, it's not clear what Gaza City brings to the table in the way of tourism.

Certainly cities should be careful of who they buddy up with. Amber Valley Council's partnership with Blackstone Valley in Rhode Island soured somewhat when the Derbyshire town was presented with a seven foot-high fibreglass model of Mr Potato Head by its new global ally. In a PR disaster, the model – tastefully dressed as English settler William Gladstone in shiny buckled shoes and period hat – was shifted to various points around the district before being left outside a primary school in Heanor, where the children broke off an arm.

But, as Bristol has shown, not all of Britain's 2,700 city partnerships are laced with disaster. The city has reaped the rewards of reaching out to the globe's black sheep. Sixty years ago Bristol was the first city to develop a twinning with Germany after the second world war when they created a link with Hanover. They have since set up partnerships with Tbilisi in Georgia, at the height of the cold war, and Puerto Morazan in Nicaragua, shortly after the Sandanista military coup.

"Hanover had been bombed flat by the allies and people here hated the Nazis with real venom," says Bristol's Twin Towns co-ordinator, Alix Hughes. "It was very brave to reach out, but 60-odd years later it's been brilliant for us. There's a strong humanitarian angle with all our projects, even trying to undermine a lot of the rhetoric about our perceived enemies."

Bristol has taught the art of West Country pig rearing to Beira in Mozambique, injected a little German efficiency into its own roadways courtesy of Hanover, and ingratiated itself with the microwave capital of the world, Guangzhou in China. So established are Bristol's links with the world, its paper the Evening Post even has a designated twinning correspondent.

Whether its swapping economic policy, recycling methods or even soprano singers, Britain is a world leader in bringing other nations to its table. Something Hughes puts down to our long preserved sense of community.

"UK cities get a lot of requests for partnerships because we have such a strong community ethic here – people do sit on community committees and associations. As well as the fact having a linkage with an English-speaking country is very desirable, all these linkages abroad are especially valuable now in times of economic plunge."

Partnerships can even present an opportunity for some reflected boasting. Ashford, Kent, is twinned with the German town Bad Münstereifel, allowing Ashford council's website to herald its sister town's "parabolic reflector the size of a soccer pitch" and the largest fully-mobile radio telescope in the world.

Should any of Ashford's inhabitants wish to see these great feats, the Ashford Twinning Association says it is delighted to introduce people to its twin towns and runs visits there each year. Perhaps Worcester and Gaza will soon be running coach tours to each other.

Is Worcester and Gaza such an unlikely pairing? What towns would you like to see join hands around the world? Paisley and Darfur? Or how about Islington and Kabul?